Calibrated adjustable regulator



Dec- 12, 1967 A. G. H. VANDERPOEL 3,357,637

7 I CALIBRATED ADJUSTABLE REGULATCR Filed June 28, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1fWE/vrae. Awser $.E Vr/vosepoa Dec. 12, 1967 A. s. H. VANDERPOEL V 3, 8

CALIBRATED ADJUSTABLE REGULATOR Filed June 28, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 12110. 6. lag. A

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A4552?" G.H Mvozema m m- MW United States Patent Ofiice 3,357,687Patented Dec. 12, 196? 3 357 687 CALIBRATED ADlUS'lABLE REGULATOR AlbertG. H. Vanderpoel, 14509 Van Ness Ave., Gardenia, Calif. 90249 Filed June28, 1965, Ser. No. 467,220 9 Claims. (Cl. 261-51) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE The disclosed regulator incorporates rotary and nonrotarymembers within a cap on the regulator body. The spring tension urgingthe diaphragm in a direction to open the regulator valve is adjustableby rotation of the rotary member. Multiple cam tracks and projectionsengaging the tracks are carried by the members within the cap in suchmanner as to achieve a high degree of compactness.

This invention relates generally to fluid pressure regulating devices inwhich fluid delivered by a pump and under pulsating flow conditions issubjected to pressure regulation. More particularly, the inventionconcerns an improved calibrated adjustable regulator which may be usedin a fuel supply system that includes either a carburetor, or a fuelinjector system throttle valve where low fuel pressure is desired atlight throttle openings and higher pressures at increased throttleopenings.

It is a major object of the invention to provide a calibrated adjustableregulator of such unusually advantageous construction and mode ofoperation that unusual benefits and results are obtained, as willappear. Basically, the reg ulator subject to improvement in accordancewith the invention includes a chamber having inlet and outlet ports forcirculating fluid such as fuel therethrough, a check valve within thechamber for controlling such circulation, a diaphragm in the chamber andhaving one side exposed to receive pressure of fluid flowing past thecheck valve, and spring means at the opposite side of the diaphragm forurging it in a direction to increase the circulation. The improvement tothe regulator comprises spring tension adjusting apparatus comprising anon-rotary member to transmit reaction loading exerted by the springmeans, and a rotary member including a manually rotatable elementexposed at the exterior of the chamber, the members having cam andfollower surfaces interengaged to effect adjustable bodily displacementof the non-rotary member relative to the rotary member for varying thespring tension in response to adjustable rotation of the rotary member.As will appear, the basic construction is such that a highly compact andrugged control of spring tension is provided, while at the same time thecontrol affords accurate calibration of the pressure regulation.

Additional important objects and advantages of the inventioncontributing toward the unusual improvements include the provision ofdetent means on the chamber and rotary member to releasably lock thelatter in selected rotary positions, the detent means being releasablyheld in locking position by spring exerted reaction loading transmittedfrom the non-rotary member to the rotary member; the coaxial location ofthe rotary and non-rotary members, with the former having multiple camsurfaces extending about the axis and presented toward the nonrota-rymember, the latter having multiple follower surfaces spaced about theaxis and engaging the respective cam surfaces; the provision of threecam surfaces as defined, each extending more than 180 degrees about theaxis, there being three corresponding follower surfaces on multipleprojections; the provision of means to controllably pre-set the springtension by deflecting the spring relative to the non-rotary member; andthe provision of means operatively connected wtih the rotary member toincrease an engine fuel throttle opening in conjunction with rotation ofthe rotary member in a direction to increase the spring tension.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as thedetails of an illustrative embodiment, Will be more fully understoodfrom the following detailed description of the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one regulator incorporating the invention, andthe regulator set for low regulated fluid pressure delivery;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken through the FIG. 1regulator;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a view like FIG. 1, but with the regulator set for relativelyhigh regulated fluid pressure delivery;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged vertical section taken through the FIG. 6regulator;

FIG. 8 is a horizontal section taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an elevation showing use of the invention to vary fuelpressure delivery to an engine as the throttle position is varied;

FIG. 10 is a section taken on line and FIG. ll is a section taken online 111-1 of FIG. 10.

Referring first to FIGS. l5, a fluid pressure regulator is generallyindicated at 10 as including a chamber comprised of a body 11 and a cap12, the body having inlet and outlet ports 13 and 14 for circulatingfluid through the chamber. A duct 15 typically connects a pump 16 withthe inlet port 13, and a duct 17 typically connects the outlet port 14with a fluid utilization device 18, as for example, an engine carburetorbowl.

A check valve 20 is contained within the chamber for controlling thecirculation, and a diaphragm 21 is also located in the chamber to haveone side thereof exposed to receive pressure of fluid flowing past thecheck valve. In the example shown the check valve and diaphragm areinterconnected at 22, and the valve has a tapered seat 23 facing anO-ring seal 24 retained in a body bore 25 by an annular retainer 26. Arelatively light spring 27 urges the valve 20 toward the O-ring 24.

A relatively heavier spring 28 is contained within the chamber at theopposite side of the diaphragm for urging the diaphragm in a directionto increase the circulation past the check valve 22. Force may beadvantageously applied from the spring to the diaphragm via the plate 30received within the interior of a circular rubber flange 31 integralwith the rubber or flexible plastic diaphragm. The latter has itsperiphery 32 retained between the body and the cap.

Coming now to that portion of the description with which the inventionis more particularly concerned, spring tension adjusting apparatus isprovided to comprise a non-rotary member such as the follower member 33to transmit reaction loading exerted by the spring means 28. The member33 is typically flanged at 34 within the cap to have multiple circularlyspaced shoulders at peripheral grooves 35 to interfit with circularlyspaced shoulders at vertically elongated tongues 36, the latter beingintegral with the cap. The construction is such that the shouldersresist relative rotation between the rotary member 33 and the cap, aswell as to guide bodily displacement of the member 33 relative to thecap and to a rotary member 37, such displacement being axial 1010 ofFIG. 9;

along axis 38. Member 33 is also cupped at 39 to be received by the bore40 of the rotary member 37, whereby the latter may be said to rotate onthe non-rotary member 33.

The rotary member 37 may be considered to include a manually rotatableelement 41 exposed at the exterior of the chamber for manually rotatingthe member 37 on the member 33. Considering that loading is transmittedfrom the spring 28 to the non-rotary follower member 33, such reactionloading is then transmitted to the rotary member 37 via cam and followersurfaces to be described. The latter are interengaged to effectadjustable bodily displacement of the non-rotary member 33 relative tothe rotary member and axially, for Varying the spring tension inresponse to adjustable rotation of the rotary member. In this regard,and in the form of the invention shown, the rotary member 37 hasmultiple cam surfaces or tracks 43, 44 and 45 extending about the axis38 and presented toward the non-rotary member. As is seen in FIG. 3, thesurfaces each extend more than 180 degrees about that axis, andtypically close to 360 degrees, each track having high and low endportions as designated by the letters H and L.

The non-rotary member has multiple follower surfaces 46, 47 and 48respectively in engagement with the tracks 43-45, thereby to provide athree-point suspension for the rotary member. These follower surfacesare respectively provided on the multiple projections 49, 50 and 51integral with the follower member and spaced about the axis 38. Finally,the rotary cam rate of the surfaces or tracks 43-45 is such as to effectthe bodily displacement of the member 33 from the position shown in FIG.2 to the position shown in FIG. 7 as the dial or element 41 is rotatedfrom the position seen in FIG. 1 to the posi tion seen in FIG. 6.Accordingly, a highly compact adjustment mechanism is afforded, withaccurate control of the spring tension exerted on the diaphragm, thelatter in turn controlling the delivery fluid pressure in accordancewith regulator action. As to the latter, as the pressure of fluidentering the chamber via duct increases, the diaphragm 21 will deflectupwardly to decrease the opening afforded by the check valve 20, andthereby regulate the pressure at the outlet duct 17.

A further feature of the invention comprises the provision of detentmeans on the cap and rotary member to releasably lock the latter inselected rotary positions, the detent means being releasably held inlocking position by spring exerted reaction loading transmitted from thenon-rotary member to the rotary member. In the example illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 7, the detent means comprises a tongue 96 upstanding fromthe upper surface of the rotary member 37 to releasably engage any of acircular series of grooves sunk upwardly in the undersurface of theinwardly turned cap flange 52. During adjustment of calibration, thedial element 41 is pushed downwardly to disengage the tongue and grooveparts 96 and 97 as seen in FIG. 7. After selected adjustment isachieved, the element 41 is released and the spring 28 urges the members33 and 37 upwardly to engage the tongue and groove parts 96 and 97,provided they are opposite each other. In this regard, whenever thearrow 53 on dial element 41 points toward a number or indicia marking onthe cap 12 as shown, the tongue and groove parts 96 and 97 arepositioned to interengage, for holding the rotary member 37 againstfurther turning in either direction, i.e. to maintain the selectedsetting.

A still further feature of the invention includes means to controllablypre-set the spring tension, for calibration purposes, by initialdeflection of the spring 28 relative to the non-rotary member 33. In theform of the invention shown, a cup shaped spacer 56 is provided toreceive a down turned portion 57 of the non-rotary member 33. The latterhas a setscrew 58 threaded centrally therein to bear at 59 against theend portion of the spacer 56. Accordingly, the spacer 56 and thesetscrew 58 transmit recation loading from the spring to the non-rotarymember 33, the spacer having a flange 59 to seat the upper end of thespring. Before the pin 60 is inserted into the bore 61 of the dialelement 41, a screwdriver may be inserted into that bore for turning thesetscrew 58 thereby pre-setting the tension of the spring 28.Thereafter, the pin 60 is inserted into the bore 61 and swaged to fastenit therein. Adjustment turning of the setscrew 58 may be accompanied byconnection of a greater than one p.s.i. source of fluid pressure withthe inlet duct 15, together with the measurement of the pressuredelivered at duct 17, with the dial element 41 set, for example, to onep.s.i. as seen in FIG. 1. The setscrew 58 is then turned until thedelivered pressure at duct 17 equals one p.s.i.

Turning now to the form of the invention seen in FIGS. 9-11, theregulator 70 is seen to include a chamber 71, non-rotary member 72,rotary member 73 and spring 74, these elements being generally arrangedin the same manner as described in connection with FIG. 2. In addition,there is provided means operatively connected with the rotary member 73to increase an engine fuel throttle opening in conjunction with rotationof the rotary member in a direction to increase the spring tension. Inthe form of the invention illustrated, such means typically includes abutterfly valve 75, an air-fuel intake duct 76 containing the butterflyvalve, and a connection between the valve and the rotary member. Onesuch connection includes the arm 77, outside duct 76 but attached tovalve 75, the link 78 attached to arm 77 and another arm 79, the latterbeing connected at 80 to the rotary member 73. Duct 76 is connected at81 to the engine fuel-air intake manifold 82, and an engine throttlelink 83 is connected to arm 77. Fuel at regulated pressure is deliveredvia duct 84 from the regulator 70 to the engine carburetor bowl housing85, from which fuel is delivered to the venturi zone 86 in the usualmanner. Accordingly, as the throttle link 83 moves to the right in FIG.9 to open the throttle, the regulator rotary member 73 is turned toincrease the tension of spring 74, thereby to provide higher pressure offuel delivered to the carburetor bowl, substantially improving theperformance of the engine.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show the provision of multiple cam surfaces or tracks90, 91 and 92 which in this case are arranged in series rather thanparallel as in FIG. 2, allowing for less than 180 degrees turning of therotary member 73 between highest and lowest spring tension conditions.The three follower projections 93, 94 and 95 are carried by the followermember 72 to engage the three cam tracks to support the rotary memberwhich defines the tracks, whereby a three-point suspension is providedas before.

I claim:

1. For combination with a fluid pressure regulator in-- eluding achamber having inlet and outlet ports for circulating fluidtherethrough, a check valve contained within the chamber for controllingsaid circulation, a diaphragm in the chamber and having one side exposedto receive pressure of fluid flowing past the check valve, and springmeans at the opposite side of the diaphragm for urging the diaphragm ina direction to increase said circulation, an improved spring tensionadjusting apparatus comprising:

a cap on the chamber,

a rotary member mounted on the cap at the spring side of the diaphragmand defining an axis of rotation which extends toward the diaphragm,said member being manually rotatable at the cap exterior,

a non-rotary member bodily movable within and relative to the cap andaxially of said rotary member, but restrained against rotation aboutsaid axis,

at least three separate cam tracks on one of the members and spiralingabout and lengthwise of said axis,

said tracks openly facing in one direction along said axis and withinthe cap,

and at least three projections on the other of said members openlyprojecting in the opposite direction along said axis, said projectionshaving terminals engaging the respective tracks at locations spacedabout said axis and within the cap.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said cap and said rotatableelement have fluid pressure calibration indicia thereon.

3. The combination of claim 2 including detent means on the cap and therotary member to releasably lock the rotary member in selected rotarypositions, the detent means being releasably held in locking position atthe inside of the cap by spring exerted reaction loading transmittedfrom the non-rotary member to the rotary member.

4. The combination of claim 1 in which there are three of said tracks onthe rotary member, the tracks each extending more than 180 degrees aboutsaid axis and at different radial spacings from said axis, and three ofsaid projections on the non-rotary member.

5. The combination of claim 1 in which the non-rotary member and saidcap have interengaged and relatively axially movable shoulders to resistrelative rotation therebetween and to guide bodily displacement of thenonrotary member relative to the cap and to the rotary memher, saidshoulders spaced radially outwardly of said tracks.

6. The combination of claim 1 in which said apparatus includes meanscarried by said non-rotary member to controllably pre-set the springtension by deflection of the spring relative to said non-rotary member.

7. The combination of claim 6 in which said last named means includes aspacer nesting with the non-rotary member to transmit said reactionloading to the non-rotary member, and a set screw to set the position ofthe spacer with respect to the non-rotary member.

8. The combination of claim 1 including means operatively connected withthe rotary member to increase an engine fuel throttle opening inconjunction with rotation of the rotary member in a direction toincrease the spring tension.

9. The combination of claim 8 in which said last named means includes abutterfly valve, an air-fuel duct containing said butterfly valve, and aconnection between the butterfly valve and said rotary member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,480,909 1/1924 Johnson137-505.41 2,633,146 3/1953 Witt 137505.44 X 1,769,132 7/1930 Gwisdalla137--505.4-1 2,633,146 3/1953 Witt 137505.44 X 2,735,669 2/1956 Seiler267-1 2,906,288 9/1959 Young 137-505.42 X 3,068,883 21/1962 Brumm137-1165 FOREIGN PATENTS 493,252 10/1938 Great Britain.

WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner.

HAROLD WEAKLEY, Assistant Examiner.

1. FOR COMBINATION WITH A FLUID PRESSURE REGULATOR INCLUDING A CHAMBERHAVING INLET AND OUTLET PORTS FOR CIRCULATING FLUID THERETHROUGH, ACHECK VALVE CONTAINED WITHIN THE CHAMBER FOR CONTROLLING SAIDCIRCULATION, A DIAPHRAGM IN THE CHAMBER AND HAVING ONE SIDE EXPOSED TORECEIVE PRESSURE OF FLUID FLOWING PAST THE CHECK VALVE, AND SPRING MEANSAT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE DIAPHRAGM FOR URGING THE DIAPHRAGM IN ADIRECTION TO INCREASE SAID CIRCULATION, AN IMPROVED SPRING TENSIONADJUSTING APPARATUS COMPRISING: A CAP ON THE CHAMBER, A ROTARY MEMBERMOUNTED ON THE CAP AT THE SPRING SIDE OF THE DIAPHRAGM AND DEFINING ANAXIS OF ROTATION WHICH EXTENDS TOWARD THE DIAPHRAGM, SAID MEMBER BEINGMANUALLY ROTATABLE AT THE CAP EXTERIOR, A NON-ROTARY MEMBER BODILYMOVABLE WITHIN AND RELATIVE TO THE CAP AND AXIALLY OF SAID ROTARYMEMBER, BUT RESTRAINED AGAINST ROTATION ABOUT SAID AXIS, AT LEAST THREESEPARATE CAM TRACKS ON ONE OF THE MEMBERS AND SPIRALING ABOUT ANDLENGTHWISE OF SAID AXIS, SAID TRACKS OPENLY FACING IN ONE DIRECTIONALONG SAID AXIS AND WITHIN THE CAP, AND AT LEAST THREE PROJECTIONS ONTHE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS OPENLY PROJECTING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTIONALONG SAID AXIS, SAID PROJECTIONS HAVING TERMINALS ENGAGING THERESPECTIVE TRACKS AT LOCATIONS SPACED ABOUT SAID AXIS AND WITHIN THECAP.